The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-09
UGLY ELEPHANTS.
BIG BRUTES CREATING DIS
TCRBANCES IN SHOWS.
Romeo, the Most Trcacherous of All
Circus Elephants-Other Ele-
plants That Are Always
Ripe for Mischief

IRdC hFc Always
Ripe for Mischief
The worst elephant that ever walked
in circus parade in the United States
was Forepaugh's we'll known big ele-
phant Romeo. He was as full Of mischief
as a monkey, and as dangerous US dy-
Mantle mine. He was not bad in spells,
but always bad, and his attendants never
knew when his big trunk was going to
swing at them with the force OF batter
ing ram. He considered every man who
Travelled with the Forepaugh show his
born enemy. He had special dislike to
Adam Forepaugh, Sr., and never lost an
opportunity to attempt the veteran show
mans life. Whenever MIR. Forepaugh
went near him he would make swipe at
him with his trunk or throw at him the
first missile he could find. When the
show came to Philadelphia to winter
Romeo had to be chained in the middle
of big room alone, out of reach of the
sides and top. His chains had to be fas-
tened to post anchored about ten feet
in tho ground. His hind legs had to be
fastened with chains stretched obliquely
out and back from him.
/ Whenever an especially violent fit of
temper seized Romeo it was necessary to
throw him and beat him into submission.
The throwing was accomplished by fast
ening block and tackle to the chains on
the hind legs and drawing those MEM
bers up under his big body until he was
compelled to let himself down. Once
down he was chained tight and held,
while dozen men would surround him
and thrash him with poles until he
trumpeted "enough." 1t frequently
took ten hours to beat him into submis-
sion, and he was often kept lying on the
! floor for three or four days before he
would give in.
The last seven years or his life Romeo
depended on one eye to guide his ele-
phantine way through life. The other
was shot out by his kc per, Stuart Cra-
ven, one day in the fall of 1865, on Ridge
avenue, Philadelphia, after Romeo had
broken down the brick wall of the
animal house at Twenty-third street and
Columbia avenue, the old Ridge Avenue
Street Railway Depot, where Forepaugh
was wintering. Romeo took q notion to
wander, and after raising merry war
among the other animals he butted down
the brick wall of the house and started
down the Ridge. Stuart Craven fol-
lowed him with a shotgun and empted
about o pound of shot into Romeo's
| leather hide. Cne load took effect in one
of his eyes and blinded him, and at the
same time conquered the big brute 80
that he allowed himself to be driven
back to his gu rters.
In the fall of the same year Forepaugh
was showing in the National Circus
Building, at Tenth and Callowhill
streets. Romeo was kept in portion of
the building where he could reach the
roof with his head. One day he took it
into his big head to get "bad," and he
! drove his keeper and everybody else out
of his quarters and kept them out for
nearly two weeks. He was entirely
master of the situation, and as soon as
anybody would attempt to 60 into him
he would work himself into a fury and
try to break his chains in the effort to
| get at them. He raised the, roof off the
! walls with his head and burst out por-
! tion of the side walls. His water had to
be handed to him on the end of q pole,
and if the attendant dared to show any
portion of his body Romeo would grab
the bucket and let fly. His keeper,
! Stuart Craven, dropped $500 diamond
ring on the floor of Romeos stall just
before he got the spell. and it lay there
J in plain sight for full week before he
would dare make an attempt to raise it.
A couple Of years later Romeo killed
an attendant called Canada Bill" at
Hartboro, Pa, by throwing him against
wall and then getting in front of
him and knceling upon him. Mr.. Fore
paugh put him in q car to ship him from
Girard. Pa, to Philadelphia, and before
| the train had gone twenty miles 1t was
discovered that Romeo was trying to
become a train wrecker. He smashed
the top and sides of the car to splinters,
and, when he got tired of that, began to
rock the car until it was in danger OF
topping from the track. He had to be
unl0aded and driven to Philadelphia by
his keeper. elephant George" an at
tendant, was nearly drowned by him
while riding across a river on the ele-
phant's neck. Romeo dived three times
In the attempt to drown George, who
was rescued just in time by the other
people of the show, who went after him
in boats.
Romeo died in Chicago in 1872 from
lockiaw, caused by the sores made on
his ankles by the shackles. His skele-
ton is now mounted in the College of
| Surgeons and Physicians in Chicago. In
| his time he killed three men and
destroyed $50, 900 worth of property,
Empress, of the O'Bricn show, that
killed the painter White at Forepaugh's
winter quarters two years ago, IS almost
as wicked an animal as any that travels.
She can never be trusted, and constant
watchfulness is required to keep her from
doing damage. When she has one of
her bad spells on her it is not safe for
anybody to 60 near her. She Knocked
down and nearly killed man when the
circus opened the season in Philadelphia
in 'S4 at Broad and Dickinson streets,
and there are a number OF people
throughout the country who remember
the black brute because of the bones she
| has broken with the vigorous swing Of
her trunk.
Bismar; k, now with the John Robinson
show, is another trcacherous brute with
bad record. About three years ago he
killed John King, well. known elephant
trainer and performer, by butting HIM
against the end of car at Charlotte